Lubricating system for valve stems



' july 29, 1924. 1 v 1,503,257 F. B. PARKER ET A| l l LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR VALVE STEMS Filed March 13', 1922 ATTORI: Ey:

Patented duly '29, 1924,

FRANK B. PARKER AND CHARLES U. AUSTIN, O F ROCHESTER, NEW-YORK.

LUBRIOATING SYSTEM FOR VALVE SCLIEHVISa Application filed March 13,1922. seriai No. 54a,51s.

To all l'u1/wm t may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK B. PARKER and CHARLES U. AUSTIN, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Systems for Valve Stems, of which the following is a specification.

The object o f this invention is to provide means whereby lubricating oil from the crank case of an internal combustion engine may be automatically7 fed to the valve stem guides of the intake valves of the engine to lubricate the bearings of the valve stems.

Another object of this invention is to surround the valve stem with a film of oil and maintain this lilm so that it will form a packing surrounding the stem and greatly reduce the leakage o? air past the valve stem into the valve chamber and manifold of the engine. l

These and other objects of this invention will be fully illustrated in the drawing, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a detail sectional View of a valve, valve chamber and portion of the crank casing, showing the valve operating mechanism of an internal combustion engine.

Figure 2 is a detail view of a valve provided with the oil feeding means.

ln the several ligures of the drawing like reference numerals indicate like parts.

ln the construction of internal combustion engines especially the four cycle type of engines no provision is made at the present time to automatically lubricate the valve stem guides of the intake valves.

rllhis lubrication of the valve stem uides is made possible by my present invention in which the partial vacuum created in the valve'chamber and intake manifold of the engine is utilized to constantly feed suiiicient lubricating oil from the crank casing to the valve stem guides and surround the valve stem with an oil lm.

The moving and rotating parts mounted in the crank casing 1 of the engine are kept lubricated by splashing or pumping the lubricating cil contained in the bottom ofv valve cam 2 on the rotation of which the valves 3 are operated. The movement of' the cam is communicated to the valve stems' 4 thru the tappets 5. .These tappets are mounted to slide in a guide sleeve 6 that is suitably threaded or otherwise fastened into the top of the crank casing 1.

The tappet is made up of a hollow stem of' which the lower end is Hattened out to form a shoe 5^ thereon. This shoe is adapted to.

rest on the periphery of the cam 2 and rides on it as the cam is rotated. In the shoe is provided the small opening 7 which leads into the hollow -portion of the tap et valve,

The valve 3 opens and closes the opening in the top of the valve chamber 10, and a valve seat 11 is provided surrounding this opening on which the valve 3 is seated. The valve stem 4 of the valve 3 is mounted to slide in a suitable guide or bearing 12 which is threaded into the valve chamber 10 or otherwise suitably fastened thereto. This guide projects below the valve chamber and is surrounded by the valve spring 13. The spring 13 extends between the shoulder 14 formed on the guide 13 and the washer 15 held in place on tlie valve stem 4 near the lower end thereof. The washer 15 is held in place on the valve stem by means of the pin or keyl 16 which passes diametrically through the stem and projects from two sides thereof. nst'ead of fastening the washer lfto the valve stem by means of the pi'i'l the valve stem may be provided withv a circular groove 16A in vwhich the washer can be suitably held in place. This type of valve is illustrated in Figure 2. j

The expansion of the spring 13 normally forces the valve down on the valve seat 11 to close the top of the valve chamber 10. The intake manifold through which the fuel passes to the cylinders leads into the valve chamber 10 so that the valve 3 controls the passage -of the fuel from the manifold to the inside of the cylinder. During the operation of the engine a partial vacuum is created in the cylinders of the engine. This partial vacuum is extended to the valve chamber and intake manifold on the lifting of the valve 3 and operates to drawthe fuel guide as will now be vertical duct 17 provided -therein which municated thru the vertical Y guide.

continuous and prevent its being obstructed x leads from the lower end of the stem to a horizontal duct 18. This horizontal duct passes diametrically through the Stem and is located in the valvestem 4 at a point where the stem is surrounded bythe guide 12 preferably near the lower end ofthis In order to make the vertical duct by the pin 16, the' pin 16 is encircled by a groove 19 whichreduces its diameter at the point Where the pin passes through the vertical vduct 17. This forms a circular channel around the pin 16 and connects' the lower part of the vertical duct 1T With the upper part thereof. In the type of valve illustrated in -Figure 2 where the Washer 15 is .supported in the groove 16A, the vertical duct is notobstructed.

The lower end of the valve stem rests on top of the adjusting screw extension 8 ofthe tappet 5. This adjusting screw has a vertical duc-t 2O provided therein which leads from the hollow center of the tappet to the outer end thereof to form a coritinuation ofthe vertical duct' 17 in the valve stein 4. A continuous duct thru the tappet and valve stem is thus formed which leads from the periphery of the cam 2 in the crank casing 1 to the horizontal duct 1S in the portion of the valve stem 4 surrounded by the guide 12.

vThe partial vacuum in the valve chamber 1G and the manifold creates al proportional vacuum between the valve stem guide and the valve' stem, and this vacuum is comvalve stem and tappet to the opening 7 in the Shoe of the tappet so that some of the lubricating oil adhering to the peripheryv of the cam is picked up and drawn thru 'the opening 7 to the wicking 21 contained-in stein into an annular channel 22 surrounding the valve stem. From the annular channel 22 the oil is drawn against the Walls of the valve guide 12 which it thus keeps -co'nstantly lubricated. In lubricating the guide 12 in the manner above pointed out a thin film of oil is formed around the valve stem forming .a packing around it and this reduces a leakage of air between the valve to the valve stem duct in the through the tappet 5 to the valve stem guide is regulatedby the -amount of wicking contained in the hollow center of the packet.

Thus a large amount of wicking tightly packed into the tappet will allow less oil to pass therethrough than will a smaller `amount of wicking not so tightly packed into the tappet.

lVe claim: 1. In avalve for internal combustion engines, the combination of a valve stem hav- .ing Aa vertical duct leading into the free end there-of and branching out on the sides thereof and mean's for connecting said vertical duct with the inside of the crank easing of the engine.

2.. In a lubricating system eating the valvestem guide of internal combustion engines, the combination of a valve,

a valve stem formed integral With said valve, said valve stem having a duct leading for lubriup from the end thereof and branching out on the sides of said valve lstem within the valvestem guide and means for operating said valve by abutting the end of said valve stem at the entrance of said d uct.

3. In avlubricating system for the valve stem guide of an internal combustion engine, the combination of a valve stem having a vertical duct leading up from the free end and branching out of the sides thereof within the valve stem guide, a tappet for operating said valve stem, said tappet having a duct leading therethrough in line with the duct in said valve stem.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a valve chamber. a valve operatingin said valve chamber, a. valve stem for lifting said valve, a valve stem guide leading from said valve chamber, said valve stem having a vertical duct leading up from the free end and branching out of the sides thereof within said valve stem guide, a crank casing, a cam mounted to rotate in said crank casing, a tappet mounted to slide in said crank casing, said tappet having a duct leading through the center thereof. said tappet making contact with the end of s'aid valve stem with one end thereof and bringing its vertical duct in lin'ejavith the vertical duct of said valve stem, the other end of said tappet' making Contact with said cam in said crank casing, means to splash oil on to the periphery of said cam and means to force the oil from the periphery of said cam through the ducts Ain said tappet and said valve stem to lubricate said valve stem guide.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the

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said tappet making Contact with the end of saidv valve stem with one end thereof and bringing its vertical duct in line with the vertical duct of said valve stem, the other end of said tappet making contact with 'said cam in said crank casing, means for A creating .a partial vacuum in said valve chamber to draw the lubricating oil from the periphery of said cam through the ducts in said-tappet and said valve stem Ainto said valve stem guide.

6. In a lubricating system for the valve stern guide of an internal combustion engine, the combin tion of a valve stem havl ing a vertical d ct leading up from the free end thereof, a tappet foroperating said valve stem, said tappet being hollow in the center, wicking placed' into the hollow center of saidtappet, and means to draw lubricating oil into the wicking in said tappet and from said wicking through the duct in said valve stem into said valve stem uide;

7. The method of lubricating t e wall of a ide sleeve for a valve stem which consists 1n providing a duet leading from the crank case of an engine thru the operating mem ber of the valve stem and through a portion of .the valve stem to the wall of the guide sleeve, creating a partial vacuum above said Valve stem and guide vsleeve to draw thel lubricant from the supply in the crank case of the engine into the guide sleeve for lubricating purposes.

8. The method of lubricating the wall of a guide sleeve for a valve stem which consists in providingfor. the escape of a small but 4continuous quantity of oil from the crank case of an engine, creating a partial vacuum around the valve stem and allowin the partial vacuum to draw the escaped oi throughsJ duet in the valve stem into the guide sleeve by locating the end of the duct in the valve stem over the escaped oil from the crank case.

In testimon natures.

, CHARLES U. AUSTIN. FRANK B. PARKER.

whereof wey aifix our sig- 

